I've been debating this a lot lately. Thinking hard on whether I should keep my T2i or sell it and add to get a 7D. I truly love the use of ML, but I also love the ruggedness of the 7D and how much more professional-oriented it is. My question is: At this time, is it really worth it to "upgrade" to the 7D? Mainly looking for opinions from people who have maybe made the switch or own both, etc. Any advice and/or recommendations are appreciated.
Is it really worth it to go to the 7D from the T2i?
- Thread starter KyranFord
- Start date
sonofaresiii
Well-known member
depends on what you're using it for
I own both and vastly prefer the T2i for video. Like you, I liked the heft and ruggedness of the 7D, so I bought one under the Canon CLP program. While waiting for it to arrive, I loaded ML onto the T2i on a whim and fell in love with it. I still like the 7D, but it's pretty much a paperweight for me when it comes to video. As 'nothing' said, its only saving grace now is its ability to output full HDMI to an external monitor. Actually, there is one other advantage to the 7D versus T2i, but it's a minor one: it's much each to adjust the aperture on the 7D. On the T2i, you have to hold down the Av button, then simultaneously rotate the mode dial on top. Two finger operation = PITA. On the 7D, you simply rotate the quick dial on the back. Very easy. In practice, though, you don't typically change aperture while filming, so it's not that big of a deal.
If I were to do it again, I'd buy a 60D: better build quality than a Rebel, quick dial on the back, twisty screen, and it runs ML. Best of all worlds. Of course, I'm not considering still photo capabilities, and in that area the 7D is a beast.
If I were to do it again, I'd buy a 60D: better build quality than a Rebel, quick dial on the back, twisty screen, and it runs ML. Best of all worlds. Of course, I'm not considering still photo capabilities, and in that area the 7D is a beast.
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sonofaresiii
Well-known member
well the 7d is more rugged and has a more professional feel... if you're doing a pro shoot you're probably going to spend the extra money to make sure it doesn't get trashed, not to mention i doubt you can find a t2i for rent. it's also gotten enough media attention that it has more appeal as "the" camera. but owning-wise and function wise, you're probably better off keeping the t2i and buying better lenses. if you own it, you're far more likely to take care of it than if you're renting or giving it to a team of people, and i doubt you're going to be as involved in the situations where you'd need the serious weather proofing.
sonofaresiii
Well-known member
edit: that said, i love my 7d. it does feel quite a bit more professional, and the star factor (small as it is) from the media attention helps me be taken more seriously. i can respect myself a little more with the 7d and not feel like i'm playing with toys. but, artistically, the t2i is probably the better option since it's going to give you pretty much the same quality images at a far cheaper price tag.
although if ml ever comes out for the 7d... that's a whole different story.
although if ml ever comes out for the 7d... that's a whole different story.
That's never going to happen I"m afraid.
Zissou
Well-known member
having unrestricted access to a 7D for pleasure and using T2i's for work, i can say they each serve their purpose, but again i would not use the 7D in the same situations i use the T2i's for video, or the T2i's for photography. Again; for stills i shoot Nikon, my fiancee shoots Canon; i happen to be in the unique situation where i use Canon T2i bodies with my Nikkor primes and fast zooms for video. We have used her 7D for our own videos randomly, but i have never used her camera on jobs, even though i could and i am (probably) more familiar with it than i am my own T2i's.
In terms of stills, I have the same 'pro vs amateur' issue with the 7D and T2i's as i did with my D300 and D50 years before; yes pro feature sets are nice, such as dedicated buttons, but in the end its skill and composition. In terms of 'film' and videography, the T2i with ML is a better tool; a million to one, over the 7D. I had always hoped the ML team would crack the 7D fully, so we could sell off the rest of my Nikon gear and switch brands totally, but as it stands we are better off where we are; D300/7D for photo's and (7D) for random personal video's, and T2i's with ML for work (with my Nikkor primes and zooms).
My Fiancee owns only one Canon lens (18-200 IS that i bought her, and she could use my 18-55 IS that came with one T2i) otherwise she shoots with my Nikon lenses and a cheap adapter. She also shoots with me on work and projects; with T2i's with ML.
For sports work that requires split second reactions and timing, i rely on fast FPS cameras and reaction times; hard buttons and programmable stuff; all the 'pro/semi-pro' features the D300/7D have, that the T2i's/D5100 etc series lack. I am used to the D3s/D300 interface for photography as much as the T2i ML interface for video, and i use them for what they are best for. I go to any set or shoot with my Nikon gear and Canon gear, one for photo's, the other for video's, because each serves their purpose there, even if lenses overlap.
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sonofaresiii
Well-known member
word on the street is ml for 7d isn't dead yet. no one's said it's impossible, and *certain people* keep dragging along hints that progress may be underway.
kgimedia
Well-known member
from http://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/7D_support
Current status
Support for the Canon EOS 7D is almost frozen, having a running version of Magic Lantern might never happen.
Yeah, we can count on ML for the 7D not happening. I've spoken to one of the developers and he says it will never happen. Guess that's just too bad... How amazing that would be...
I owned a hacked GH1 for a little while and then sold it. I'm not going to the GH2. I much prefer Canons. I'll sacrifice that sharpness and detail for the advantages that come with the Canons.
What I'd love to do is go to the 5D Mark II. Rumor has it that it's supposed to be released pretty soon. Hopefully that will decrease the used value of the Mark II. I suppose I'll stick with the T2i until then. Looks like the 7D isn't going to be worth it at all.
I owned a hacked GH1 for a little while and then sold it. I'm not going to the GH2. I much prefer Canons. I'll sacrifice that sharpness and detail for the advantages that come with the Canons.
What I'd love to do is go to the 5D Mark II. Rumor has it that it's supposed to be released pretty soon. Hopefully that will decrease the used value of the Mark II. I suppose I'll stick with the T2i until then. Looks like the 7D isn't going to be worth it at all.
henryqiu
Well-known member
7d would only be worth it if you used it for photography. But if you did, you'd know of its unacceptable noise levels at low isos and other issues. Its definitely not worth it. 5d all the way!
"...its unacceptable noise levels at low isos"? For still photography, both 7D and 5D Mark II have their pros and cons. 7D is only about 1 stop more noisier than 5D Mark II in low light. Compared to 5D, 7D is a very capable beast that can hold ground on its own. For example: 7D has been the fastest camera from Canon for under the cost of 1D series, substantially faster than 5D II, in terms of FPS, AF, and overall operations.
For video, 60D and Rebel series should be as good as 7D, meaning: going from a T?i to 7D isn't exactly an upgrade per se.
I'm actually contemplating the 60D now! A lot more than I was the 7D..
It's like the other Canons when it comes to camera performance. Same resolutions/frame rates, ability to run stable versions of ML, I can keep my huge collection of SanDisk Extreme SDHC cards, etc. But now I get a camera with much better ergonomic controls, the articulating LCD, as well as the rugged body, top LCD, and twisty dial (instead of D-pad) like the 7D/5D. Sounds great to me!
What do you think?
It's like the other Canons when it comes to camera performance. Same resolutions/frame rates, ability to run stable versions of ML, I can keep my huge collection of SanDisk Extreme SDHC cards, etc. But now I get a camera with much better ergonomic controls, the articulating LCD, as well as the rugged body, top LCD, and twisty dial (instead of D-pad) like the 7D/5D. Sounds great to me!
What do you think?
1080i hdmi
that you should broaden your view (unless you're 100% stuck with electronic Canon lenses). From a client perspective it's not a bad idea getting 5dmk2, instead of another APS-C (with exactly the same video quality/looks). Or a GH2. But again... if you've invested in modern stills glass from Canon this will limit your options greatly.
Regarding second-hand value on fullframe DSLRs you will have to wait a long time. 5DI is still pretty high, don't expect one of the most popular camera models in the world to drop in price cus 5dmk3 comes. It will likely be at a price point x2 what you can find a *used 5dmk2 for today.
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